YA author Scott Westerfeld to keynote closing session for YALSA’s Young Adult Literature Symposium

CHICAGO — Scott Westerfeld, author of the Leviathan series, will be the keynote speaker for the general closing session of the 2012 Young Adult Literature Symposium, announced the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association.

Westerfeld will give an "illustrated lecture" about working with artist Keith Thompson on the Leviathan trilogy, with digressions on the history of illustration and the future of fan art, during the general closing session at noon on Sunday, Nov. 4. Why did illustrated novels mostly disappear? How does illustration change the writing process? And why do young readers interact differently with visual media than with pure text?

“Scott’s contribution to the world of teen literature masterfully balances the line between literary and fun,” said YALSA President Jack Martin. “I'm thrilled that he'll be attending the YA Lit Symposium this year.”

The Young Adult Literature Symposium will be held Nov. 2-4, at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch in St. Louis, with a theme of “The Future of Young Adult Literature: Hit Me with the Next big Thing.” The symposium is funded in part by the William C. Morris Endowment.

Early bird registration for the symposium, which saves $50 over advanced fees and $75 over on-site fees, is open through September 16 at www.ala.org/yalitsymposium. Early Bird registration costs $195 for YALSA members, $245 for ALA members, $300 for nonmembers and $50 for students, who must be enrolled in an ALA-accredited library and information science program.

Scott Westerfeld is the author of the Leviathan series, the first book of which was the winner of the 2010 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. His other novels include the New York Times best-selling Uglies series, "The Last Days," "Peeps," "So Yesterday" and the Midnighters trilogy. Many of Westerfeld’s titles have appeared on YALSA’s selected lists, including Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults. Visit him at ScottWesterfeld.com or follow him on Twitter at @ScottWesterfeld.

For more than 50 years, YALSA has worked to build the capacity of libraries and librarians to engage, serve and empower teens. For more information about YALSA or to access national guidelines and other resources go to www.ala.org/yalsa, or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail: yalsa@ala.org.